Sometimes it’s all too easy to forget the amazing opportunities our campus and the surrounding areas of Gainesville have to offer.
Case in point: A crowd gathered Monday at the University Auditorium to hear Laverne Cox speak as part of Pride Awareness Month.
I wasn’t fully aware of how cool this was until after it already happened. Laverne Cox is a cast member on Netflix’s acclaimed series “Orange Is The New Black.” I started the pilot episode a day after she spoke. Considering all the work I had to get done this week, that wasn’t a wise decision.
The award-winning comedy-drama follows Piper Chapman, a woman who gets sentenced to 15 months in women’s prison for a crime she committed a decade before moving on to a quiet life in New York’s upper-middle class. It’s well known for its complex, multi-dimensional portrayals of diverse groups of female prisoners.
Laverne Cox plays one of the inmates. Her character is Sophia Burset, a black transgender firefighter who financed her gender reassignment surgery through credit card fraud. Even in a women’s penitentiary, she struggles with others’ perceptions of her identity. Her character has been lauded for bringing an authentic portrayal of a trans woman to the screen.
Cox herself is a trans woman and advocate for transgender rights who’s noted for emphasizing important topics for the transgender community apart from gender reassignment surgery. Her success in acting, along with her writing and advocacy, has positioned her as an inspiring figure for black and transgender people — some of the most marginalized groups in society — and for anyone who believes in individual self-determination.
She talked about her life and experiences as a black, trans woman and shared her hope for a society where people are free to define themselves without the judgment of others, where people aren’t restricted to the limited labels they are given.
“I am not just one,” she said, “and neither are you.”
Not only did she have an amazing story to tell and messages to pass on, she’s also a pop culture figure and a cast member on one of the most successful shows in the last year. And I didn’t go see her.
The fact that I was unaware of Cox’s visit was entirely my fault. I didn’t see her because of my own ignorance. I wasn’t informed about what was going on around campus, and I didn’t know who Cox was until she spoke here.
We’re fortunate enough to go to school where more interesting things go on than homework, parties and Netflix — not to downplay the importance of all of those things.
On any given day, you can walk outside and be bombarded with information, events, activities and weird things at a rate normally reserved for festivals and the world’s largest cities.
Go to the Plaza of the Americas and see public relations representatives giving people free beef jerky and teaching them how to use lassos just a short walk away from Krishna lunch. Or set a world record for popping bubble wrap. Monday, an inspirational actress came to speak, and Thursday, so did Rob Schneider. This is a great place, full of wonders and opportunity waiting for you.
[Alec Carver is a UF journalism freshman. His columns appear on Fridays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 3/28/2014 under the headline "Laverne Cox talks self-determination, hope — but I missed it"]
